Review of Postcards from Another World
In Postcards from Another World, Gillian Sternbech, slightly magical parole officer in charge of Fluffy the Dog, is called in to help with a serial murder case. While Gillian is at a loss to understand how she can be of help, when she is partnered withe handsome sorcerer Nassar Farouq, Gillian goes along with the assignment. It doesn’t take long for Gillian and Nassar to figure out that she does have a connection to the culprit. The murderer leaves clues in the form of postcards and dreadful poetry for the pair to follow.
Each murder takes place at the site of some previous socio-political catastrophe/crime. The Whitechapel area of London, where Jack the Ripper victimized prostitutes who had no one to care about them. The 9th ward of New Orleans, devastated by a hurricane and ignored in the recovery. The Outer Banks of North Caroline, where wreckers purposely lured ships to crash on a rocky shore so the ships could be looted. And Lake Murray, South Carolina, where the residents were forced to leave so the area could be flooded to make a lake. As I was reading, I thought the author might just be making her own critical observations of history and felt that there was no purpose for it. Just so you know, I was wrong about that. Gillian will, in her on empathetic manner, make all the connections and use those connections to deal with evil.
Along the way, Gillian and Nassar will meet with Gillian’s grandmother (Baba Yaga), her mother and step-dad. He happens to be a sasquatch. There is also a possessed ventriloquist dummy who proves to be very helpful along with Fluffy the dog, who is helpful and supportive in his own way. Nasser, is the quiet hero in the background, letting Gillian do her own thing, helping when necessary, but knowing that she will get things done.
There are many things to appreciate about this book. The plot is at once straight-forward and chaotic (in a good way). The romance is sweet (no steamy sex scenes). The cast of characters, most of whom are part of the magical world, is extremely diverse. And I so much appreciated the author’s sense of humor.
Postcards from Another World is a part of the More in Heaven and Earth universe. Each book is completely standalone and this book was my delightful introduction to the series. Quirky and charming, this book includes an insecure Alpha heroine, a secure Beta hero, vampires, witches, a sasquatch, magic and a ton of entertainment! Oh, let’s not forget the human doing time in the form of a terrier because he tried to make a deal with a demon. And did I mention he has a thing for a cross-dressing vamp? Read this book only if you like fun! 🙂
Through StoryOrigin, the author provided a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion.
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About Postcards from Another World by Katherine Gilbert
She’s just a girl with a dog-shaped magical parolee. How did she end up having to search for a serial killer?
Gillian Sternbach is used to being overlooked. As the granddaughter of a famous, and dangerously-powerful, witch, she didn’t actually end up with much magic besides the ability to see and interact with ghosts, which often feels more like a curse than a blessing.
Still, she’s fine with her life as a parole officer for the Magical Council, looking after some of the less-dangerous magical miscreants, such as her current full-time charge, George, who’s rather mouthy for a man now trapped in the body of a fluffy Highland terrier. Even with her tendency to be a bit of a cryptid magnet, she doesn’t have any complaints.
Then, out of the blue, the Magical Council puts her on the case of a terrifying serial killer who leaves a Victorian postcard at each of his crime scenes through England and America. They team her up with Nassar Farouq, a sorcerer who’s way too attractive and kind to be good for her timid heart. Why she’s on the case is a mystery, until she learns that all of the killer’s previous victims seem to have connections to her.
Now, instead of her usual quiet life, Gillian and Nassar, with George the dog in tow, are chasing through every odd and supernatural spot on a multi-continent and cross-country trip to find a killer. From a Victorian cemetery in London to America and an abandoned town, a swamp where legends live, a sunken city, a creepy antebellum ruin, a haunted former insane asylum, and finally the wreck-strewn shores of the Graveyard of the Atlantic, she and Nassar will have to try to discover her connection to the killer and stop him before he kills again, especially since–as the murderer’s taunts make clear–his next victim is likely to be her.
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So, unrelated to this review, but related to a character in the book: do you watch TV shows about hunting for Big Foot? We watch them at our house and more than once, I have suggested to the Big Foot hunters (who can’t hear me) that they should look up! Thank you Katherine Gilbert, for getting this suggestion out there. Now, if we can just get the Big Foot hunters to read this book…..
Also, unrelated to this review, but related to an event in the book. Forcing residents to relocate and then flooding the previously inhabited valleys to create lakes has occurred in many places in this world. Climate change is altering the landscape at one such location. Drought is causing lake waters to recede and revealing the village that lay at the bottom in Northern Italy.
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